DNA fragments, homologous to the dTDP-D-glucose 4,6-dehydratase gene, obtained from the genomic DNA of Streptomyces antibioticus , a producer of the unusual macrolide antibiotic chlorothricin, were cloned and sequenced. This dehydratase gene was designated as oxil. The coding region of the oxil gene is composed of 987 bp, and analysis of the DNA sequence data reveals sequences for the gene products of 329 amino acids (molecular weight of 36,037). The deduced amino acids are 59% identical to the StrE, dTDP-D-glucose 4,6-dehydratase from the streptomycin pathway. The oxil's function was examined by expressing it in E. coli using the T7 RNA polymerase/promoter system (pRSET) to produce an active fusion protein including a his tag. This enzyme shows specificity of substrate, specific only to dTDP-D-glucose.

A rapid and sensitive method has been developed to detect a-fetoprotein (AFP) in human serum by a two-site sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) for human AFP within 1 h. To obtain the most sensitive and reliable MAbs. 12 kinds of MAbs (HPJ1 to HPJ12) as a capture antibody and 4 kinds of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugated MAbs as a tracer antibody were investigated. Among these, only HPJ 10-HRP conjugated HPJ 1 (HPJ 10-HPJ ) and HPJ 11-HRP conjugated HPJ 10 (HPJ 11-HPJ ) were chosen as candidates based on the linearity of the standard curve and the sensitivity of the assay. To further characterize these two pairs. MAbs against human AFP were purified from hybridoma cells. conjugated with HRP. and then characterized to optimize the two-site sandwich ELISA The HPJ 10-HPJ pair showed a sensitivity of 1 ng/ml and a better reproducibility than the HPJ 11-HPJ pair when the human sera were incubated at for 30 min. The results obtained for 480 randomly selected human sera showed 0~20 ng/ml of AFP values for the normal human sera. To test the utility of our kit, AFP concentrations were determined for 951 human sera (including 85 normal sera, 480 random blood sera, 213 HBsAg-positives. 50 anti-HCV antibody positives. and 47 malignant diseases) and compared with other commercially available AFP detecting kits. These results show that the present two-site sandwich ELISA method is a rapid, sensitive, and reliable procedure for detecting AFP in human serum.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is literally known to promote neural differentiation and survival in several peripheral and central neurons. Thus, it is Widely believed that NGF may serve as a therapeutic agent for many types of neuronal diseases. One of the mechanisms suggested to explain the protective role of NGF is that the trophic factor can prevent the increase of intracellular calcium ions which might be responsible for neural death. To examine whether or not the calcium hypothesis works even under pathological conditions, we applied NGF to cultures deprived of glucose. Surprisingly, what was observed here is that NGF rather promoted cell death under a glucose-deprived condition. What we call the NGF paradox phenomenon occurred in a calcium concentration-dependent manner, indirectly suggesting that NGF might increase intracellular calcium ions in cells deprived of glucose. This suggestion is further supported by the fact that nifedipine, a well-known L-type calcium channel blocker, could block the cell death potentiated by NGF. Here it is still premature to propose the complete mechanism underlying the NGF paradox phenomenon. However, this study certainly indicates that NGF as a therapeutic agent for neuronal diseases should be carefully considered before use.

To investigate the role of heparin in keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF) high affinity binding to the KGF receptor (KGFR), a cell free system was established which utilized a secreted chimeric molecule between the KGFR extracellular domain and the immunoglobulin heavy chain Fc domain (KGFR-HFc). KGFR-HFc was purified from NIH 3T3 cells and demonstrated the binding of as well as heparin Sepharose. Scatchard analysis showed that the dissociation constant for heparin binding to KGFR-HFc was 140 nM. High affinity KGF and aFGF binding to KGFR-HFc remained unchanged after treatment with 0.6 M NaCl, which is the concentration sufficient to release any bound heparin to the KGFR-HFc. These results strongly suggest that although the KGFR interacts with heparin, the presence of heparin is not absolutely required for high affinity binding of either KGF or aFGF to the KGFR.

The pH dependence of the kinetic parameters of mutant O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase (OASS) from Salmonella typhimurium LT-2 has been determined in order to obtain information on the chemical mechanism. The initial velocity pattern obtained by varying the concentrations of OAS at several fixed concentrations of TNB, shows an intersection on the left of the ordinate at pH 7.0, indicating that the kinetic mechanism is a sequential mechanism in which substrate inhibition by OAS is observed while the wild type enzyme showed a ping pong mechanism. The values of , and decreased by about 68%, 14% and 16% as compared with the wild type enzyme. The is a pK of 6.5 on the acid side of the pH profile, and the is pH independent. As compared with the wild type enzyme, the pKs in the V/K profiles are shifted, reflecting that binding of the cofactor in free E:OAS is less asymmetric.

A general procedure to quantitate the reaction of carbodiimides with carboxy groups of proteins is described. Pyridoxamine reacts with the o-acylisourea intermediate generated during the reaction of carboxyl residues with carbodiimides. The extent of the reaction is determined by measuring the spectroscopic properties, absorption and emission, of pyridoxyl residues covalently attached to the proteins. Resolved pig brain aspartate aminotransferase (apoenzyme), inactivated by 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylamino propyl) carbodiimide, reacts with . After trypsin digestion, one peptide labeled with radioactive pyridoxyl was separated by reverse phase HPLC.

To examine the growth-phase dependent control of Escherichia coli rnpB gene we used a combination of Northern analysis for RNA determination and Southern analysis for plasmid DNA determination. The relative amounts of metabolically unstable transcript derived from the internally deleted rnpB gene harbored on a multicopy plasmid as well as the relative plasmid contents were measured by Northern analysis and Southern analysis, respectively, of total nucleic acids from E coli cells containing the plasmid. The relative transcription activity of the rnB was represented by a ratio of the relative amount of the transcript to that of the plasmid DNA during bacterial growth. The rnpB transcription increased rapidly with time during exponential growth, but started to decrease before the transition period of an exponential growing cell culture into the stationary phase. Although the expression pattern was similar to the changes of activity expressed from the lysogenic strain carrying the chromosomal rnpB-lacZ fusion which were shown in a previous work, the present data appears to represent a more actual growth-phase control of the rnpB transcription than the previous data by the assay. In addition the present method described for a direct analysis of both RNA and plasmid DNA provides a rapid and efficient method that can applied to an examination of transcription control by using a multicopy plasmid.

Effects on thrombin by an amphipathic cation, dequalinium, which has been recognized as an anticarcinoma agent were investigated with small chromogenic substrates such as Na-benzoyl-DL-argininep-nitroanilide (BApNA), H-D-phenylalanyl-L-pipecoyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (S-2238), and Na-p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME). Among them, only TAME hydrolysis due to an esterase activity of the enzyme was significantly activated to 81% at 20 dequalinium in the absence of NaCl. This stimulation became even higher in the presence of 0.2 M NaCl to 3.5-fold at 60 dequalinium. This specific activation of thrombin was well correlated with the results of in vitro coagulation tests measuring the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and the prothrombin time (PT) It is pertinent. therefore, to suggest that the esterase activity should be examined in addition to the effects on 5-2238 hydrolysis when especially any regulators not directed to an active site of thrombin need to be studied. We also expect that dequalinium could be a useful tool for studying structure-function relationship of thrombin and blood coagulation.

The interaction of dehydrogenase complex () with a hydrophobic fluorescent probe [1,1'-bi(4-aniline)naphthalene-5,5'-disulfonic acid] (bis-ANS) was studied. The punfied was potently inhibited by bis-ANS with an apparent half maximal inhibitory concentration () of 9.8 at pH 8.0. The catalytic activities of both the E1o and E2o subunits were predominantly inhibited while that of the E3 component was hardly affected. The binding of bis-ANS to the enzyme caused a marked enhancement and blue shift from 523 nm to 482 nm in the fluorescence emission spectrum. The dissociation constant () and the number of binding sites (n) were calculated to be 0.87 mM and 158, respectively. Allosteric regulators such as purine nucleotides and divalent cations further increased the fluorescence intensity of the binary complex. These data suggest that the binding of these allosteric regulators to may cause the conformational changes in the enzyme and that bis-ANS could be used as a valuable probe to study the interaction of the multi-enzyme complex and its allosteric regulators.

A 23-kDa molecular mass of antioxidant protein was purified from human liver. This protein exhibited the preventive effect against the inactivation of glutamine synthetase by a metal-catalyzed oxidation system. This antioxidant activity was supported by a thiol-reducing equivalent such as dithiothreitol in a similar manner to that of the 25-kDa thiol-specific antioxidant protein (TSA) from human red blood cells (HR). However, a thioredoxin-linked peroxidase activity of thiol-specific antioxidant protein of human liver (HLTSA) (0.91 of HLTSA) was much lower than that of thiol-specific antioxidant protein of human red blood cells (HRTSA) (16.4 of HRTSA). This HLTSA is also immnologically distinct from HRTSA Amino acid sequences of the three tryptic peptides (P1, P2, P3) of HLTSA were found to be completely homologous to segments of the known Mer5-like protein, which belongs to the known TSA family.

The Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome is the single most intensively studied chromosome alteration characterizing a human malignancy. The specific genetic alteration of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is the formation of the BCR/abl fusion gene in leukemic cells. The presence of the BCR/abl gene has important diagnostic and prognostic implications in CML. The detection of BCR/abl transcripts by reverse transcriptase based polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was investigated in patients with CML in whom the Ph chromosome abnormality was documented by cytogenetic analysis. In a total of 68 CML patient cases, the Ph chromosome was found in 53 cases (77.9%) by cytogenetic analysis. On the other hand, sixty two cases (91.2%) were detected to have BCR/abl gene rearrangement Of these, b3a2 was 44 cases (64.7%) and b2a2 was 17 cases (25,0%). There was one case with both b3a2 and b2a2 (1.5%). Of the fifteen cases of Ph chromosome negative by cytogenetic anlaysis, the BCR/abl gene was observed in nine cases, The results of BCR/abl fusion gene confirmed by the direct sequencing method correlated well with PCR analysis, The amplified PCR products were detected by dilutions. In conclusion, PCR technique is sensitive, rapid and relatively simple for a laboratory test in detecting the BCR/abl fusion gene with CML regardless of the result of cytogenetic analysis.

The epidermal organ of the leech contains a complex glycoprotein molecule of mucus. The mucus excreted from annelids plays Significant role in protection against desiccation and parasites. Mucus from the Korean native leech, H. nipponia, was investigated for biochemical characteristics for possible development of biomaterials of cosmetic and pharmaceutical agents. The leech skin mucus was heavily glycosylated mucin-like protein with a high molecular weight comprised 80% carbohydrate and 20% protein. Threonine, serine, and glycine were the major components of the isolated protein and these accounted for 50% of total amino acids. The carbohydrate portion contained glucosamine, galactosamine. galactose, glucose. mannose and sialic acid in oligosaccharide form linked with threonine and serine residues of the glycoprotein.

An enzyme that hydrolyzes flavin-adenine dinucleotide (FAD) was found to be present in rat liver lysosomal membrane prepared from Triton WR-1339 filled lysosomes (tritosomes) purified by flotation on sucrose. This FAD phosphohydrolase (FADase) exhibited optimal activity at pH 8.5 and had an apparent Km of approximately 3.3 mM. The activity was decreased 50~70% by dialysis against EDTA and this was restored by , , , and ions inhibited the enzyme, but and molybdate had no effect. The enzyme was also inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate (pCMB), reduced glutathione and other thiols, cyanide, and ascorbate. The presence of ATP, ADP, AMP. ATP, AMP-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNP), GMP, and coenzyme A (CoA) decreased the activity on FAD, but pyrimidine nucleotides, adenosine, adenine, or were without effect. Phosphate stimulated the activity slightly. FAD phosphohydrolase activity was separated from ATPase and inorganic pyrophosphatase activities by solubilization with detergents and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by linear sucrose density gradient centrifugation suggesting that the enzyme is different from ATPase, inorganic pyrophosphatase, and soluble lysosomal FAD pyrophosphatase. Paper chromatography showed that FAD was hydrolyzed to flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and AMP which were further hydrolyzed to riboflavin and AMP by phosphatases known to be present in lysosomal membranes. Incubation of the intact Iysosomes with pronase showed that the active site of FAD phosphohydrolase must be oriented to the cytosol. The FAD hydrolyzing activity was detected in Golgi, microsome, and plasma membrane, but not in mitochondria or soluble lysosomal preparations.

Sheep hemoglobin (SHb) was modified with methoxy-polyethylene glycol (mPEG) to develop a potential blood substitute. mPEG has been used to decrease antigenicity and immunogenicity of foreign proteins. When the mPEG was attached to SHb, the modified hemoglobins showed decreased electrophoretic mobility on SDS-PAGE and decreased free amino groups. When the remaining free amino groups of mPEG modified SHb were determined by TNBS free amino group titration methods. about 34% of total free amino groups were modified with mPEG. This mPEG-SHb conjugate of 34% amino groups modified showed no precipitation by double immunodiffusion with polyclonal antibodies against SHb. This modified hemoglobin still has oxygen transport activity. So this antigenicity decreased hemoglobin may be used in humans as a potential blood substitute.

A recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, is glycosylated at Asn 24, Asn 38, Asn 83, and Ser 126. After release of the N-linked carbohydrate chains by asparagine amidase F, the oligosaccharides were analyzed by FACE (Fluorophore-Assisted Carbohydrate Electrophoresis). The O-linked carbohydrate chain was separated by hydrazine, and analyzed by FACE. The monosacccharide composition of recombinant EPO showed man nose, fucose, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, N-acetylneuraminic acid, and a trace of N-acetylgalactosamine, which are typical monosaccharides in the glycoproteins from the CHO cell. Sequences of N-linked and O-linked oligosaccharides were determined. The structure and composition of oligosaccharides attached to recombinant human EPO, expressed in the CHO cell, are identical to the reported oligosaccharide structure in human EPO isolated from urine.

The expression of genes induced by Dichloroacetate (DCA) treatment was analyzed by mRNA differential display. Purified total RNAs from rat liver treated with saline or DCA (100 mg/100 g b.w.) were reverse transcribed by using a set of oligonucleotide primers. The PCR products were resolved on a denaturing sequencing gel. PCR band representing mRNA expressed specifically in DCA-treated liver was excised and reamplified by PCR. A 120-bp c-DNA clone named IC1 was isolated and the DNA sequence of IC1 was analyzed. IC1 revealed 50% homology with 3' end of a mouse fibroblast growth factor mRNA This result indicates that DCA induces the expression of a gene which has a 50% homology with a Mouse fibroblast growth factor, and expression of this gene might be involved in non genotoxic process caused by DCA.